The launch of the partnership was marked with a special session taking place at St Helens Stadium, the new home of LFC Women, with a group of young girls taking part in a rugby-based skills session alongside stars from both LFC Women and St Helens Women.

Reds duo Ceri Holland and Rachael Laws were joined by Saints captain Jodie Cunningham and teammates Leah Burke and Beri Salihi, to spend time at the session and help inspire the children.

The players were on hand to answer questions from the young girls before taking part in some of the drills and spending time speaking to the families and getting photographs with the children.

Ceri Holland, midfielder for LFC Women, said: “It’s fantastic to see these two organisations come together, they are both doing incredible work already but for them to join forces will only benefit the community here. St Helens is our home now as a team and we want to really be a part of this community and this partnership will only help strengthen that going forward.”

As part of the new partnership, the LFC Foundation have launched their latest Community Hub based at St Helens Stadium, which will be led by the SCDF team, and will help provide more opportunities for people of all ages in St Helens.

The LFC Foundation’s Hubs programme, which is funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation, provides safe spaces for people to come together and improve the general health and wellbeing of the local community. The Hub in St Helens is one of eight that the LFC Foundation work in partnership with across the Liverpool City Region and surrounding areas.

By combining the resources, knowledge and passion of both Foundations, the partnership aims to work collaboratively in an area of high need and enhance each other’s work in the community for even greater impact.

Matt Parish, CEO of LFC Foundation, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Saints Community Development Foundation to amplify the impact of community programmes. Their knowledge and deep connection with the area will be invaluable in ensuring that our work is directed into the right areas and we look forward to seeing the potential of this partnership come to life.”

Ben Hardman, Business Manager at Saints Community Development Foundation, added: “The partnership with the LFC Foundation is a fantastic opportunity for us to bring together two of the region’s most well-respected community-focused organisations. Together we will be able to enhance our collective efforts to create positive change and inspire people to reach their full potential.”